I drove past the Surfers Paradise Surf Club and they have opened for breakfast. I am not sure if we can have our meetings upstairs as yet… I think it will be the week of 1st July…. We will keep you posted.
The shed looks better and better every week. The re-organisation is fantastic. Well you couldn’t believe how happy Larry was on Saturday with his new BIN. This is a Garbage Bin. It’s a big one and Larry is a very happy man. [Add one to the hundreds of 'Happiness is...' memes: Ed. ☺]
Next: work has started on 10 new Sleeping Sanctuaries (PODs). Des has changed the design slightly and is using thicker plywood for the sides. Larry is hoping, with Neil’s help, to come up with better signage for the PODs. All the steel has arrived for the base and work is on the way. Also on Monday we have 24 wheelchairs arriving from the Rotary Club of Taree.
As you read this on Monday night, the last Board Meeting for this Rotary year is in process. While Mitch Brown is away on sick leave, Franz Huber will be the notetaker (acting Secretary) for the meeting. Mitch will have recovered over the next week or so. Also, this meeting includes both the members of the existing Board as well as those of the new Board under the direction of our President Elect Charles Thomasson. It it will be a very interesting meeting. Unfortunately, Gerald East cannot attend; he is having cancer treatment on his face and must stay in the dark for 14 days.
On Saturday Ayana Sadaka, our Rotary Exchange Student from Japan, turned 18. Happy Birthday Ayana from all the member at the Club. We have a present to give her before she leaves us to go home.
I really don’t have much else to report on at this time. I have enjoyed the position as President. You all know how you enjoy being a member and being involved in such a vibrant club and the things we do are amazing. From building wheelchairs, the Sleeping Sanctuary… PODs for the homeless, manufacturing Buildings for Schools and the Hospital in Vanuatu, our Youth & Community Projects, our fundraising and the fellowship that all this generates is wondrous.
With a crew like “you-all”, it’s been a real pleasure. Remember Charles takes over the duties of President on 1st July. I will remain on call to assist where possible.
The regular Rotary ZOOM Meeting is on at 7:30am Wednesday morning. Look forward to seeing you all at the meeting.
In another 10 days, John Chirio will be President Elect for 2021-22. The theme of his presentation?'How to Become an Engineer Without a Plan’ [Somehow, I can't imagine John doing anything without a plan... ☺ Ed.]
The meeting will be On-Line, via Zoom. An invitation with the link was sent out to all members and associate members. If you would like to participate, you are welcome! Please email the Editor and I'll send it to you straight away.
It was going to happen in April, but COVID came in-between. Angus Miller is again organising a "Guess who is coming to Dinner?" event. This is a great social evening with an air of mystery as neither the guests nor hosts know who is attending, respectively who will host. Gus advises that he has the volunteer hosts already set up, but would like a "reserve host", just in case we get more people participating than we expect. Regardless of whether you are hosting or not, he will need final numbers of attendees so we can make sure that we have enough hosts. Note: it is an 'impromptu, minimal fuss' affair: if you are hosting and you are an accomplished chef and want to show it off: by all means, slave over a hot stove and cook a five course dinner! At the other end of the scale, simply have a bar-be-que or some take-away pizza. Or anything in-between! The principal purpose is to have a great night!
For those who have not attended one of these dinners before: Firstly, you will all gather at a particular address (will remain secret until we get closer to the event) for a drink & nibble. The hosts' addresses for the evening will then be allocated, who will then make their way to that address for the dinner. Each host will have nominated the number of guests they would like, but they will not know who will come to dinner, nor will the guests know who else will be at that given address. The food is provided by the hosts, for which the guests will contribute $15 per person and provide their own drinks[and perhaps have a spare bottle for the hosts too..! Ed]. The menu is entirely at the whim of the host, anything from caviar to take-away Chinese.
Angus needs to know who will be participating bythis Wednesday 24th June. Please register your interest directly with himviaemail agjpmiller@gmail.com, advising how many people will participate and whether you can be a "Reserve Host".
He is pedalling like mad - he is almost there! Just another 100 Km to go, and he'll make it easily. And it also looks like he is getting some support, including a few from our club. So, don't hesitate to pull out your Credit Card and pledge a few dollars to his very worthwhile target to support Multiple Scleroris.
Our indefatigable printer extraordinaire, Neil Thurlow, is cycling 400 Km in lieu of the usual 'Brissie to the Bay' event, which due to COVID had to be cancelled. This is a fundraiser in support of MS (Multiple Sclerosis). Click here to go directly to his website, or click on the image, or download the full brochure from the Download Section on the right.
Neil will organise something similar to raise funds for our various Rotary projects. Stay tuned!
Remember Martina Missarelli, our 'Pocket Rocket' from Italy? She was our Youth Exchange Student in 2015/16. [yes, time flies, doesn't it!]Gerald East, who is our District's Youth Exchange Treasurer, sent her a birthday message recently. Here is her reply to his enquiry on how Italy is copying with the post-COVID situation:
The situation is improving, I am positive and I hope that everything will go away quickly and above all I hope that the Italian economy will recover. It's great to see that after all these years (even if it seems to me yesterday) you still remember the date of my birthday. I am really pleased. I spent the day with my whole family and we had a bbq. I always have all the memories of Australia in my heart and seeing that until a few months ago it was burning broke my heart. Say hello to the whole rotary club.
Lots of love from Italy Martina
Photo: Martina is greeted on her arrival at Brisbane Airport by Gerald East (left) and Chris Thurtell (right).
We had a regular On-Line club meeting via Zoom. Apologies were received from Karen Holland and Gerald East.
President Mario Fairlie welcomed all members, expressing his mixed feelings of this being his penultimate club meeting as President. "How do I feel?" he queried. Mario said he much enjoyed his year as President, except for writing the President's Message every week for the club bulletin... [My suggestion that, now he'll have all that spare time from July onwards, he might consider writing a novel did not excite much enthusiasm... still, here is a suggestion (see right) ☺ Ed.]. He confirmed that the Project Shed is committed to build another 11 PODS, the Vanuatu project, since installation cannot occur before next winter, will take a temporary back step. Mario also commented on Graeme Isaacson's efforts to sell some of the stuff at the shed, such as the Kitchen Cabinet materials.
Larry Murray reported that the fridge at the Project Shed had given up its ghost... (good news on that - see story further up).
President Elect (PE) Charles Thomasson elaborated on a Cluster 7 meeting with the PE's of neighboring clubs. There is a strong interest by Margaret Grummitt (RC of Parkwood) to become involved as well. Larry Murray indicated that we may need additional personnel at the shed. He also confirmed that the Changeover will take place on Wednesday 15th July 2020. It will be a Breakfast Meeting (first time in the history of our club! Ed.) Details to be announced - mark the date in your diary! Charles also outlined a potential prospect to deliver a 20' container to Honiara. We need to find the funds of about $5,800 to ship it. Possibly other clubs might join in. Finally, the 2020 Golf Day is scheduled for October. We'll design it as a fundraiser for wheelchairs, specifically transport.
PDG Darrell Brown reported on a conversation he's had with freshly elected Councillor Darren Taylor in regard to him becoming an Honorary Member of our club.
Franz Huber queried whether the Lutzy Award will be awarded this year? In brief: the members agreed that, if no sponsor can be found, the club will finance the Surf Board. Monday evening's board meeting will formally decide.
Angus Miller asked for all members who want to participate in the 'Guess who is coming to Dinner' on Saturday 4th July to notify him by this Wednesday 24th June. See separate article above with details. Mark Twyford advised that the District Changeover will take place on Sunday 26th July at Mermaid Beach - more details on the District Website. Ian Mayberry has a car racing speaker lined up, and Larry Murray advised that we are getting a very large Wheelie Bin for our rubbish disposal at the shed.
After dinner, my wife asked me if I could clear the table.
I needed a running jump, but I did it!
Andy's post of the week:
Can't work out my wife. First she says "Yes, fine, have a tatoo."
Now she is moaning about the bagpipers in the garden.
Eighteenth Century playwrights and novelists often made their hero a criminal, a highwayman or confidence trickster… … all play with the interesting and subversive notion that entrepreneurial egotism, an eye for the main chance and for the weakness of others, the qualities that go to the making of a successful criminal, may be the same qualities that in other circumstances make a politician or businessman. David Malouf, Boyer Lectures 1998
Only for people who are comfortable with the Periodic Table:
Did you hear? Oxygen and Potassium went on a date. It went OK.
Not even a week later, Oxygen went out with Magnesium. OMg!
Oxygen then tried to invite Nitrogen out, but... she said NO.
Diesel Services Queensland and AB Crane Hire recently provided a truck and a huge mobile crane at no charge to lift a 40' container into our Project Shed area at Arundel. Thank you! Click on the links to go to their website.
The shed looks better and better every week. The re-organisation is fantastic. Well you couldn’t believe how happy Larry was on Saturday with his new BIN. This is a Garbage Bin. It’s a big one and Larry is a very happy man. 
In another 10 days, John Chirio will be President Elect for 2021-22. The theme of his presentation? 'How to Become an Engineer Without a Plan’ 
President Mario Fairlie welcomed all members, expressing his mixed feelings of this being his penultimate club meeting as President. "How do I feel?" he queried. Mario said he much enjoyed his year as President, except for writing the President's Message every week for the club bulletin...
